TCS and Cornell Tech inaugurate the Tata Innovation Center to promote joint academic and industry research

Mumbai: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organisation, today announced a new partnership with Cornell Tech, the first university campus designed for the digital age, to collaborate on technology research and expand K-12 digital literacy programmes in New York City.
N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons (third from left); Ratan N Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons (sixth from left); Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO and MD, TCS (seventh from right); and Surya Kant, president, North America, UK and Europe, TCS (third from right) at the inauguration of the Tata Innovation Center
As part of the new partnership, Cornell Tech has inaugurated the Tata Innovation Center on its campus following a USD50 million investment in the University from TCS. The centre, formerly known as The Bridge, brings academia and industry together under one roof to share ideas and research on next-generation digital technologies and how to commercialise new areas of collaboration.

“Tata group and TCS have a long and celebrated history of investments in education and institution building in the communities in which we operate,” said Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons. “The Tata Innovation Center will drive applied research and collaboration between Cornell, industry and the startup ecosystem in emerging areas, including human machine interaction, and cyber security, benefitting both US business and local communities,” he added.

“The Tata Innovation Center will become a hub for New York’s tech sector and a global icon for how academia and industry can collaborate to leverage technology for the greater good,” said Martha E Pollack, Cornell University President. “Cornell Trustee Ratan Tata ’59, BArch ’62 and the Tata family of companies have long supported innovation at Cornell; our new partnership with Tata Consultancy Services will drive innovation at Cornell Tech and help the campus reach its full potential for education, research and societal impact,” Ms Pollack added.

“New York City has been proudly partnering with TCS for years, including their sponsorship of the TCS New York City Marathon, work with local schools, and so much more. TCS’s new partnership with Cornell Tech will help drive New York’s economic competitiveness and advance digital literacy programmes to reach even more schools across the city. Through this critical engagement, Computer Science for All, the Tech Talent Pipeline, and more, we are working to keep New York City a leader in the 21st century economy and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to share in the growth and success of the tech industry,” added New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Tata Innovation Center
TCS will become one of the tenants in the Tata Innovation Center, a first-of-its-kind building where an extraordinary mix of cutting-edge companies from diverse industries have the opportunity to work alongside ground-breaking Cornell academic teams. They include recent Cornell Tech graduates seeking to commercialise new ideas and work with start-ups and established companies developing leading edge technologies and products. The building features meeting areas on each level, including a light-filled, multi-level tech gallery and a rooftop terrace sheltered by a solar trellis. The building was developed by Forest City, New York, and designed by Weiss/Manfredi.

The new Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island opened in September 2017, designed to combine the potential of academia and industry to create pioneering leaders and transformational new research, products, companies and social ventures.

“TCS has operated in New York City for more than 40 years and invested in many long standing customer relationships and local community partnerships,” said Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO and managing director of TCS. “Our joint research with Cornell Tech is designed to fully leverage their campus ecosystem and TCS’ industry leading technical expertise to develop solutions that empower notable transformation and talent development across industries in an era of Business 4.0,” he added.

“Cornell Tech serves as a model for the campus and community of the future,” added Congresswoman Carolyn B Maloney. “Already, young people are receiving a world-class education in computer science and cutting-edge training in how to become entrepreneurs. I am delighted that the Tata Innovation Center will stand as a reminder to our community for generations to come of the extraordinary generosity of the Tata group and TCS, which enables new joint research and K-12 literacy programmes, which I know will help lead us into the future,” she added.

“The Tata family and TCS have long been drivers of innovation as one of the world’s leading IT services organisations, and we are thrilled to have their name grace the building and be a tenant,” said MaryAnne Gilmartin, president and CEO of Forest City, New York. “The Tata Innovation Center breaks down all barriers to innovation and collaboration, with a diverse group of tenants working alongside ground-breaking Cornell Tech academic teams. The building is a key component of the mission of Cornell Tech and driving economic growth for New York,” Ms Gilmartin added.

Cutting-edge collaborative research
Cornell Tech’s academic environment encourages tight integration across disciplines, couples fundamental research with practice, and supports societal and commercial ventures alongside education.

A distinguishing characteristic of Cornell Tech’s research is that it engages deeply with external communities, organisations and industries to address real-world problems. TCS will collaborate with Cornell Tech’s world-class faculty on cutting-edge research in human-computer interaction (the convergence of technologies such as Mixed Reality and IoT in everyday human activities) and cyber security (improving cloud computing security and privacy aspects for a wider Blockchain adoption).

“Cornell Tech stands apart because of our focus on academic excellence, coupled with real-world impact, and this new partnership with TCS will dramatically improve our ability to make a difference, from commercialising research to engaging with public school students across New York City,” said Dan Huttenlocher, Dean of Cornell Tech. “TCS shares our vision of ensuring all students and teachers have meaningful engagements with computer science in the classroom, and with their help we will reach even more schools,” he added further.

Commitment to K-12 education
To empower NYC youth to participate and thrive in an increasingly digital world, TCS and Cornell Tech have joined forces to promote the integration of computational expertise in K-12 public education, starting with engagement in NYC School Districts 2 and 30. This multi-year community engagement effort aims to build digital fluency and computational acumen among students, educators and schools in the nation’s largest public school system, with a special focus on girls, minorities and the underserved.

TCS will leverage Cornell Tech’s academic expertise to design education programmes that introduce students to new digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain and Cybersecurity. Cornell Tech will leverage TCS’s industry expertise and host their Ignite My Future in School programme for educators across all five boroughs, starting with two New York City school districts in January 2018. Additionally, TCS will also offer its award-winning flagship education programme, goIT, to students and schools served by Cornell Tech’s K-12 initiative.

“Cornell Tech and TCS are to be commended on their unique collaboration, particularly in relation to the planned enhancement of computational skills for New York City public school students. Such skills are highly applicable to the digital world in the workplace and in contemporary knowledge transmittal as well as creation. Today’s announcement is indeed momentous,” said assembly member Rebecca Seawright.